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The madman theory is that you can be a successful deterrer if you - if they think you could be crazy. And so I think it can be very effective, so long as you're not actually crazy.

David Brooks

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David Brooks
Age: 63
Born: 1961
Born: August 22
Editor
Journalist
Politician
Pundit
City of Toronto
Effective
Theory
Crazy
Successful
Actually
Long
Think
Madman
Thinking
Madmen

More quotes by David Brooks

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The core threat to democracy is not in the White House, it's the [Bush] haters themselves.
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Some people think humility is thinking lowly of yourself. Some people think it's not thinking about yourself. But, to me, the best definition of humility is radical self-awareness from a distance, seeing themselves from a distance and saying, what's my problem?
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The policies of the Democratic Party have always been in cultural consonance with the culture of the working class. And, somehow, they missed that.
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When you cover politics, you realize that knowing how to talk about character matters more and more. The way we hold ideas is more important than the ideas.
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Putin is someone who has been undermining the norms of what we consider the world order since he got into power and in increasing success.
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It's almost inherent, but I'm a massive Stanley Kubrick fan. I'm a big admirer of what guys like Christopher Nolan have been able to do. For me, to be able to try to make big films that reach a lot of people, and that hopefully have something to say, is a lofty goal, but that's my goal.
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Clearly, politics is a team sport. Trump is not so much of a team player.
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When you get a big crisis, everyone wants somebody with some experience and some credibility.
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I wouldn't say philosophy and theology are dead. Brain science doesn't invent new philosophies but it helps remind us which of our existing philosophies are more true.
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Every White House I have covered since Reagan, when I got here, power has been more concentrated in the White House than the one before.
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Two terrible behaviors don't make a good behavior.
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I don't think history will ever be a science because history will never be reduced to law-like behavior. People are to unpredictable.
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I agree with the idea of cutting [budget], but it should all be coming out of entitlements for the affluent and not out of domestic discretionary, which is welfare, education, all the stuff the government does, parks, FBI, and it shouldn't be coming out of Medicaid.
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I want to limit the effects of the power of donors, no question about it.
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I generally think debates within a party should not be treated as a scandal. They should be treated as a sign of strength, to be honest.
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It’s only useful to ask, what wisdom have you learned from your misjudgments that will help you going forward?
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Creativity is not a solitary process. It happens within networks... when talented people get together, when idea systems and mentalities merge.
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If you're running a successful administration, then you're loyal to people who are basically good who make a mistake. And that seems to be essential for any organization. And it should be essential if this were a normal administration, rather than a fiefdom, where everybody simply tries to give Donald Trump a good headline every day.
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Hillary Clinton is still - she's such a private person.
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Marital happiness is far more important than anything else in determining personal well-being.
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